Mother dumps four- month old baby under tree

Soroti - An Unknown woman has dumped her four-month old baby boy under a tree in Arapai sub-county, Soroti district under unclear circumstances.

The baby wrapped in clothes was found by a passerby lying under a tree and decided to carry it to the police in Arapai police post.

The Police founf a chit indicating that the baby belongs to one Felix Odongo of Abarilela, Amuria district who is believed to be a teacher.

Florence Atim, the in-charge of family protection unit of police in Soroti district, said that there were also telephone contacts of the said father though they were not going through.

Police spokesman Juma Hassan Nyene and Florence Atim the in-charge of family protection unit of police in Soroti district carrying the baby

"I have decided to contact the director of Amecet, an orphanage in Soroti to take care of the baby as police mounts a search for the baby's mother," Atim said.

Els Van, the director of Amecet, told New Vision that this is the second baby to be recovered in a period of one week.

"Last week police recovered a one-week old baby dumped in Katakwi district and was brought to our care. Her mother has not been found and we hope that the parents shall show up one day," Van said.

She explained that they receive on average of two abandoned children in Teso sub-region every week.

Kyoga East regional police Commander Juma Hassan Nyene said the problem is big and it's majorly school girls that dump children.

Nyene explained that young girls are made pregnant by irresponsible men who do not offer any assistance to a woman.

"Some girls after realizing that they made wrong choice to date irresponsible men, they resort into abortion while others who may fail to abort end up dumping children on the road side," Nyene said.

Nearly half (49%) of women aged 20-49 years were married before the age of 18 years and 15% by the age of 15 years according to Uganda Bureau  of Standards.